Hi

I just got a 1959 Fiat  600 on the weekend to build an Abarth Replica racer,

But I see many styles of front bumpers with oil cooler ,
and rear fender flares ,

Which type  looks right for a 1959 600 wilh the early doors

Any pictures  of the styles and what year they were used ?

Thanks for your Help

Dave

Dave,

I'm basing my answer on the Abarth: The Man and the Machines book.

The very early cars such as yours had a small radiator UNDER the car, just in front of the engine and transmission. 

In the very early 1960's the Corsa versions had a tiny, thin radiator attached to and below the front bumper. 

Around 1963-4 a much larger radiator / oil cooler began to be used, the fiberglass fairing of which had a projection or "wing" sticking out each side.

In about 1965-6 the radiator / oil cooler was enlarged again and the fairing changed so it looks more like 3 boxes. This is the one you most commonly see on replicas and was used until the end.

The fiberglass rear fender flares were a late change and are best known for being on the TCR cars, that engine being homologated in 1970.

So while you can do whatever you want and no one will say anything, no factory-made cars with rear-hinged doors ever had the fender flares or late fairing.

This is the car I am buying and is a late 1964 car.

Here's another view, from the side.

thanks for the info...

here is another  weird question...

how many  squares across the top to make the checkerboard pattern

I see 7-8-9 squares looking at the  area above  the front windshield

was there a "factory" pattern

thanks

Dave

Some of the earlier cars (with suicide doors ) had the radiator under the front bumper.  It is the same one basically that was used under the car.  Sometimes, this radiator was used exposed and sometimes it had a small shroud.  I have both the shroud and the small radiator for my car.  I am not sure if the shroud was a later addition, or if it was simply left off for racing purposes.  I can't imagine the radiator under the car lasting very long, as it hangs rather low.

Some time in the mid sixties (I think) Abarth flared the rear fenders slightly with a small bulge.  You can see this in the photo in this thread.  I have a set of fiberglass replica ones, but am not sure if the originals were fiberglass or if Abarth modifed the steel body.  Also, on the later cars with wide rear flares, the wheel wells were modified and enlarged for the really wide tires that were used.

If it were me, I would never use the large (late) radiator shroud and large fender flares on an early (suicide door) car.  It is simply not historically correct.  I have seen quite a number of books on Abarths that have photos of cars that are supposed to be Abarths, but have the late shroud and flares on an early car.  I have also seen a few cars like this on ebay.  These are either fakes, or Abarths that have been butchered... 

I do think it is okay to roll the fender lips a bit on the early cars to provide clearance for modern 13" tire sizes.  I don't think you can find skinny tire widths anymore to fit in these cars.

Does anyone know how the early, small radiator shrouds were attached?  They wrap over the stock bumpers, and I'm not sure if they fasten to the bumper or body.

Gil

hallo ,the first one where open whitout protection and fitted on body ,,the second whit a small grill that you can find in Parts and this was fitted to the bumper iff the drive with our on body  whitout bumpers .And like always not one abarth was the same